Mango Chutney

Chutney is a savory condiment usually made from fruits combined with vinegar, onions and spices. There are so many wonderful ways to use chutneys in your cooking and entertaining - for us, it is indeed a pantry essential!

The Virginia Chutney Company's Mango Chutney is a sweet, gingery version of the classic Major Grey type chutney. Full of fruit with a splash of fresh squeezed lime juice, it is an extraordinary accompaniment to grilled salmon and shrimp. Serve alongside roasted pork loin or use as a glaze for ham.

The Virginia Chutney Company is located in Washington, Virginia, in the heart of Rappahannock County. It is here that Clare and Nevill Turner and their son, Oliver, eat, sleep, and breathe chutney! In the Turners' "test kitchen," also the family kitchen in their sprawling log cabin home-office, there's often a chutney on the stove and several more experiments in the fridge.

The elder Turners know about chutney. Clare, whose parents served in the British Colonial Service, grew up in East Africa and is well versed in the spicy, fresh Indian chutneys as well as the sweeter British ones. Nevill grew up in England, where he ate chutney all the time. They met in the 1970's in the Caribbean, where they made mango and pineapple chutneys together. They relocated to the States over 30 years ago, and chose Virginia for its schools and business climate.

It was here they discovered the South's rich tradition of chutney making! The ingredients that go into making chutney and the ways in which they are used tend to reflect the local region in which they are made. For instance, in India, tamarind chutneys are used with curry. The English love Major Grey's chutney with Ploughman's Lunch, and mango chutney is served with fish in the Caribbean. New Englanders love cranberry chutney. In Virginia, the chutneys tend to be a bit sweeter and a little spicy, and go well with pork and chicken dishes.

The chutneys from The Virginia Chutney Company are made with all natural ingredients and contain no preservatives. Local fruits are used whenever possible. They are fat free, and can be used in a number of ways in your kitchen!